What Bill Sees
by loubielou88
Summary: What Bill sees at Shell Cottage when he takes a good look at his little brother.


"D'you mind I stay here a moment?" Harry asked the others.

…..

As Bill followed the other through the small garden he looked back towards the boy who looked so small stood by his friend's grave marked by a stone. He saw his younger brother with his arm wrapped around the girl he had been friends with for so long. Thoughts were raging around his head fighting for dominance.

They traipsed through the front door into the hallway and Bill glanced back out once more and saw Harry rise. He pulled himself straight at the end of the grave and Bill realised Harry looked older, more weary then he had ever seen him. He realised they all did, Harry, Hermione and Ron. He started to wonder about the things these three teenagers had seen and done in the past 6 years.

As Fleur announced she was going to warm up some stew, Ron who seemed to grow and mature before his eyes led Hermione into the living room and helped her down onto the sofa. He knelt at her feet and murmured a question looking up at her through adoring eyes. Bill couldn't hear what was being said but he recognised the look in his youngest brother's eyes as one he knew Fred and George teased Bill himself about; it was the same way he looked at Fleur, the same way their Dad looked at their Mum.

He felt the sudden urge to be close to his wife, he made his way into the kitchen. Fleur stood over the stove staring the stew. He came up behind her and placed his arms around her waist.

As he whispered "I love you" she turned around and saw the contemplative look in his eyes.

"My dear, what is it" She whispered back.

"This isn't how it should be. They're just kids. All they should be worrying about is exams and their first loves!"

"I know, but this is a terrible time when all in our world have more to worry about." As Fleur considered Bill again she saw there was more in his eyes, regret. "What else, my love, what is troubling you so?"

"Ron," he said, "he's grown up, and I've missed it, he's no longer the small boy who would come running to me because there is a spider in his room, he's a man now, bloody hell Fleur, and he is madly, crazy in love with Hermione Granger! I've spent all those years in Egypt and missed it, he has had to go through so much and I wasn't there."

Fleur stood speechless for a moment as Bill started to pace.

"Bill, what do you mean, you haven't missed him growing into a man, he is only 17."

Bill looked over to his wife, "I know, but can't you see it? He's older now, he's had to shoulder so much responsibility, and he's been there for Harry through all this, for 7 years. I wasn't there; I missed it. He has been through hell and back, all to save this, our world. It's too much responsibility for all of them."

"Love, I know, but this is the path he has chosen, and that was chosen for him. He and Harry are the best of friends and Ron is a true friend, he isn't only there to be close to the 'Boy Who Lived'. He wants to be there for him, to protect him and help him defeat 'You Know Who'. This is what he was born to do. Now neither you, nor I, can change that, it is how it is, all you can hope and dream for is time, time to spend with your brother to get to know the man he has become, because, my love, if he is anything like you, he will be a fine man."

Fleur let this sink in for a moment and pulled out a chair for Bill and herself.

"And as for his feelings for a certain Miss Granger, well if I didn't know what true love looked like, all you have to do is spend 5 minutes with your brother and Hermione and you will know."

Bill looked at his wife and wondered how he had managed to find such a wonderful insightful woman who loved him.

"Do you think," he paused and checked they weren't being overheard, "do you think he knows? That he loves her?"

Fleur looked to the door through to the living room, where Ron had not moved from Hermione's feet, he now laid his head in her lap, staring up into her eyes.

"Yes," she whispered, "he knows".

Bill went to disagree, "No, how can he know, he's so young, he can't realise how much he loves her."

"Bill, your brother's a teenager, he has only just returned to her after spending time here morose and not knowing where she was, or if she lived. She has been lost to him for weeks and now he has her back, I'm sure he knows now just how much he loves her. I practically had to jinx him to make him leave the room when he first took Hermione upstairs."

"What?" Bill said, he had only half listened to his wife, as he could not take his eyes of the young couple.

"Ron, he would not leave Hermione's side so I could treat her wounds. I had to force him out of the room, you would think he thought I could not perform such magic!" Fleur finished haughtily as she stood and returned to the stove.

"Well, I would never get in your way, love. I think your right, he is so much like me, and he never wants to be apart from the love of his life. I know I would never leave your side if we were in their place."

Fleur turned and faced Bill as he reached her, she leant up and kissed him.

"I love you too, dear husband. I will never leave your side."

As they kissed again they didn't notice Ron and Hermione slowly make their way into the kitchen, Ron looked down at Hermione, and saw a tear in her eye.

"What! What's wrong." He panicked.

"Nothing," she whispered, "just, they look so in love."

As Bill and Fleur realised they weren't alone they looked over to see Ron, looking down at Hermione, with his arm around her he pulled her closer to his side. As he looked up Bill caught his eye and smiled.

"Mad," Ron said, "you're all mad." But none the less he smiled back at Bill. An understanding passing between the two red-headed young men, they would always keep their one true loves at their side.


End file.
